sky diving...!

Ok, I'd like to focus your minds on adventure this month: this past Sunday, our focus was Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Firstly, see if you can't make that one of your mottos - really commit it to memory. It's one of the first Bible verses I ever learnt, and has given me a lot of good reminders over the years. It has a promise too - if I were to say in a nutshell what it meant to me, I'd say God says if I let him take charge of EVERYTHING, he'll take care of EVERYTHING. When I think of letting God take everything off my hands I have this really peaceful feeling as if he's carrying me - even when the straight path he's shown me really feels like an uphill climb. That's because, I know that he's able to carry me through (remember the action song He's Able?) because he's proven himself more times than I can remember.

I meant to quote you this verse on Sunday, from Jeremiah 29:11. It was something God said to the Israelites he allowed to be captured and taken into exile by the enemy:

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

God was making promises in a bleak time. The people had turned against him, but he was still working on bringing them back to him.

So, here's the challenge: decide this week, which path of faith you are going to choose

1. Are you going to choose to put your faith only in yourself - trust yourself and what you can do?
2. Are you going to decide to put your complete trust in God? With all your heart? Even if you don't know where he'll lead you or what he has in his plans for you? Will you commit all your abilities and limitations to him and let him use you?

Decide who's more trustworthy this week, and make a decision - and commit to stick by it. I hope you choose the second option. Pray about your decision and ask God to help you. You might feel like a wimp (I know I am one!), other people might think you're a failure, but God sees your heart and knows your potential - because he knows that HE can work through you!

Let me end with a few favourite encouraging verses. Hold onto them, when you pray you can use them, when you feel weak may the Holy Spirit remind you of God's words. The more Bible you learn, the more God can speak to you from it even when you're not reading - his word is ALIIIIIVE! :)

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Have a blessed week...you remain in our prayers!

P.S. Sorry Jacky (Jacky C/K?)... the topic after Ruth was controlling your anger. In your anger do not sin: we looked at how our anger can be good for motivating us to do good (for example, when we see people being taken advantage of or bullied, we might be motivated to do something to help; or when we get angry with ourselves for being lazy, we might be motivated to get off our backsides and do some work!) We looked at how we need to not hurt people and lose our tempers and let ourselves be controlled by our anger so that we do what we know that God doesn't want us to do though. One tip we took from the Bible was in that verse: "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. (Ephesians 4:26-27) Make sure we deal with our anger and don't take it to bed at night. Forgive or repent before God and whoever/whatever angered us - deal with it carefully before God at the earliest time, so that Satan cannot use it against us or to make us sin against God and others.